Namaskar,
Some people think that their mental tendencies or likings are not related with any philosophy. They think they like something simply because they were born with that liking and that liking is thus permanent. Because of that belief they do not try to change their liking.

They fail to realise that the mind is dynamic and that it can go up or down depending on one’s physical and mental engagement.

Rather non-sadhakas think that whatever they like is fixed and permanent – such as their attachment to meat-eating, pop music, relations etc. They think that these are part of their permanent way of living and that they will like these things forever and ever.

But with just a little reflection anyone can see how their liking changes according to the status of mind. Which is why no grown adult likes to pass their days playing in the sandbox, even though when they were 6 of 7 years of age playing in the sandbox was the greatest thing.

Indeed, one’s liking is so flexible and so changeable: One can even learn to appreciate something that they do not initially like. For instance, one may get transfer orders to a new location and they may not even want to go to that new place. Yet after moving and being there for some time they may come to cherish that new place. And when their their job or posting is again transferred, they may be angry and upset that they have to leave that spot.

Such is the way the mind works. As sadhakas we understand this and should use it to our advantage. And side by side we should teach this idea to non-margiis so they can also grow and develop.

MIND FLOWS IN EITHER DIRECTION – UP OR DOWN

Baba has blessed us with a human mind that has a very special quality. And it is this very quality that allows each and everyone of us to achieve success in sadhana.

And what is that quality? As stated above, the mind will gradually adjust with and develop an affinity for anything in which it is involved.

That means that even if sadhana is difficult – even if sadhana seems impossible – if one tries and perseveres just a little bit, then gradually the mind will become quite adept at doing sadhana. In fact, with just a little effort, the mind will become so immersed in sadhana that it will not wish to do anything else.

The whole process can work in the opposite direction as well if one is constantly submerged in mundane affairs. So one must be careful and pay heed to their mental occupation and daily activities.

Unfortunately, materialists cannot comprehend this philosophy of mind, but in Ananda Marga, our entire approach and philosophy revolves around this practical science.

MIND IS THE CAUSE OF BONDAGE OR LIBERATION

In innumerable discourses and throughout our entire Ananda Marga ideology, Baba is teaching us about the philosophy of mind: That mind is dynamic and it must be channelised towards the spiritual realm.

Ananda Marga ideology states, “It is the human mind which is the cause of bondage or liberation. If the mind is in bondage, the person is also in bondage. Similarly, if the mind is liberated the person is also liberated. After all, it is the human mind which engages in auspicious actions. Now, if this mind is kept engrossed in the ideation of Parama Purus’a, then it gets totally merged in Consciousness.” (1)

So the main emphasis of our spiritual philosophy is to goad the mind towards Him and then automatically one will reach the goal. One can find this idea is nearly every Ananda Marga discourse.

Verily the whole of 16 Points and all our life practices are geared towards making the mind more subtle, spiritual, and devotional. Baba has blessed us with this special way of living.

And He furthermore assures us that this plan – this approach of goading the mind towards higher pursuits – will work, cent per cent, with each and every human being, regardless of their background.

Ananda Marga ideology states, “If an ordinary sinner or a confirmed sinner remains absorbed in the thought of Parama Purus’a to the exclusion of all other thoughts, then his mind becomes pointed.” (2)

IMPORTANCE OF THEORETICAL UNDERSTANDING

So it is extremely important for each and every sadhaka to theoretically understand how this science of mind works. Because doing sadhana in this present era is not easy. But if one understands that if the mind is goaded – even a wee-bit – towards the devotional sphere, then little by little the mind will yearn to do sadhana.

That is why if one is having trouble in sadhana, one should not worry. Only one should take this as a sign that they need to goad the mind a little bit more towards that way of life. That means doing a few more minutes of kiirtan, svadhyaya, mantra japa, etc, and then soon the mind will adjust and move in that direction.

And side by side one must also understand that engaging in mundane affairs or debased dealings will obviously divert their mind farther and farther away from sadhana.

To gain success, one must have this theoretical understanding about the philosophy of mind, then one can certainly move ahead.

And again the underlying idea is: The mind will learn to like whatever it is engaged in, whether that thing is good or bad – accordingly the mind will adjust and flow in that direction.

SOME EXAMPLES

Suppose a new margii is immersed in mundane affairs like their job, non-margii social relations, and various other non-spiritual pursuits, but internally he wants to do sadhana. Then all he has to do is follow the precepts of manan (thinking about Him), shravan (singing & listening His name), and niddhidhyasana (ideating on Him) and then certainly in a very short time that new margii will be infused with tremendous speed in sadhana as the mind will like to do more meditation.

And this will not just work with new margiis – but with any Ananda Margii, even one who has been on the path for 50 years.

Because the theory always applies universally that the mind will adjust with whatever it is given to do. If we involve in dhyana, japa, kiirtan, satsaunga, prabhat samgiita, brahmacarya, and so many of our other Ananda Marga practices, then naturally the mind will swiftly move in that direction – towards that sublime ideal.

So there is hope for each and everyone – and we should always be wary not to slip in the opposite direction.

Because let’s say there is an established margii who is involved in sadhana but little by little starts engaging in more mundane affairs like his silly games, or excess gossip, or useless email conversations etc, then the mind will steadily drift away from sadhana until finally that sadhaka will lose their spiritual flow entirely.

This philosophy of mind is so powerful that if even an ideal man starts associating with winos and drunks then over time he himself will start to yearn for their company and begin swigging from the bottle.

Because mind will always run after and learn to like whatever activity in which it is engaged. That is the key theme.

SATSAUNGA IS NEEDED

The mind also changes according to the company one keeps. Many ate onion and garlic or smoked before entering Ananda Marga. Upon being surrounded by sadhakas (i.e. good company or satsaunga) then their mind changed and they gradually gave up those tamasik habits. SO the mind changes according to one’s company as well.

Ananda Marga ideology states,”So while selecting company, you should be careful whether its discourses, its activities, its plans or programmes are to decrease the distance between you and your Lord. This is Satsaunga, good company. Otherwise it is Asatsauṋga.” (3)

SPIRITUALISE THE MIND EACH AND EVERY MOMENT

Thus as sadhakas living in this present era, we should make a strict sadhana routine & devotional program and stick to that. We should make a sadhana quota whereby we do all our lessons two times daily as well as involve in Guru Sakash, proper ideation before sleep, and as much shravan, manan, niddhidhyasana as we can during the day.

Verily we should spiritualise the mind each and every moment of our lives through constant japa and ideation. By this way we can and will expedite our movement on the path – making sadhana an effortless, blissful, and deeply devotional experience.

We should utilise this philosophical aspect and tendency of mind to our maximum advantage.

COME FROM PAST ANIMAL LIVES

Let us never forget that each and every human being has come from past animal lives so those baser propensities are still in effect – to some or more degree. And people are well familiar with those animal enjoyments. That is why it all so easy and quite common for the masses to move in this negative direction – i.e. negative pratisaincara. And the mind will learn to like that making one’s descent very swift and harsh.

As sadhakas we must never fall prey to such degradation – rather we are to keep ourselves moving in the sentient flow and pull others in that current as well.

DOOR OF LIBERATION WILL IMMEDIATELY OPEN

By His grace, as margiis we have the theoretical understanding as well as the practices to get success and reach the goal whereas materialistic-minded people will sadly become one with matter. We should proceed along the path and inspire others as well.

“Human beings should not be anxious under any circumstances, Parama Purus’a is always with everyone. If one has love for Parama Purus’a, the door of liberation or salvation will immediately open.” (4)

And here are more of Baba’s teachings on this subject.

THOSE WHO WANT THE SUPREME ENTITY

WILL HAVE TO IDEATE ON PARAMA PURUS’A

Baba has graciously blessed us with the practical method of how to ideate on Him. We should share this technique with one and all. We should never allow others to settle for any lesser approach. It is everyone’s birthright to get Him – by their thoughts alone, one can attain His eternal shelter, by His grace.

“It is also stated in Tantra that if a person wants only to attain limited progress, one may practise on certain limited ideas. But those who are genuine seekers of Brahma will never agree to worship any finite idea. Those who want the Supreme Entity will have to ideate on Parama Purus’a alone. People may attain limited achievement in terms of occult power through the grace of the gods and goddesses, but they will remain far away from the attainment of the Supreme Entity.” (5)

IF THE MOVEMENT TO THE SUBTLE IS ENCOURAGED

ONE WILL BE CONVERTED INTO COSMIC MIND

“Now, the objectivated [human] mind may move from subtle towards crude or from crude towards subtle, unlike the movements of other entities of this universe. If the movement towards crude is encouraged, the mind – and at the same time the entire existence of the human being – will be converted into crude matter. That is, it will [take] the path of negative pratisaincara. And if the movement towards subtle is encouraged, then one’s entire existence will be converted into either Cosmic Mind or Cosmic Cognitive Faculty. This is the speciality of mind, and that is why it is said:”

[It is the mind that performs good actions and it is the mind that sins. For the mind that is immersed in the thought of God, there is no virtue, no vice.]

[The mind of a person in bondage is attached to his or her objects of enjoyment, whereas the mind of a person who has attained liberation has no mental object.]

““The mind is the cause of bondage, and this mind, this very mind, is the cause of liberation, is the cause of emancipation.” If the movement towards subtle is encouraged, and there is movement with proper acceleration, then what will happen? There will take place one of two different things: either one’s existence will be converted into the Cosmic Mind – that metamorphosis of unit mind into Cosmic Mind is known as the qualified stance – saguńásthiti – or, if the very “I” feeling is surrendered at the altar of Supreme Existence, then the alternative will be that the entire existential factor will become one with the Supreme Cognitive Faculty, with the Cognitive Principle – one will become omniscient, an all-knowing entity.” (6)

MIND IS THE CAUSE OF BONDAGE

MIND IS THE CAUSE OF LIBERATION

““It is the human mind which is the cause of bondage or liberation. If the mind is in bondage, the person is also in bondage. Similarly, if the mind is liberated the person is also liberated. After all, it is the human mind which engages in auspicious actions. Now, if this mind is kept engrossed in the ideation of Parama Puruśa, then it gets totally merged in Consciousness. In that case, where is the scope for virtue or vice for that person?””
“If an ordinary sinner or a confirmed sinner remains absorbed in the thought of Parama Puruśa to the exclusion of all other thoughts, then his or her mind becomes pointed. This is called agryábuddhi [pinnacled intellect] in Sanskrit. In that state of mind the spiritual aspirant gets well established in pinnacled intellect. Unless and until the ordinary human intellect is elevated to the level of pinnacled intellect or apexed intellect, the continuous rise and fall of innumerable vibrations within one’s existence continues. These psychic vibrations are sometimes the vibrations of virtue, sometimes the vibrations of vice, sometimes the vibrations of the reaction of sinful deeds, sometimes of virtuous deeds. Unless the human mind is pointed, this rise and fall of antagonistic psychic vibrations will go on. The moment the mind is centred on Parama Puruśa, then that mind will naturally become pointed. In that state there is no scope for the rise and fall of any wave – neither the wave of virtue nor the wave of vice. Thus it is said that when a spiritual aspirant is established in pinnacled intellect, there cannot be any question of virtue and vice. A person who has taken the Cosmic shelter goes far above the scope of virtue or vice. This is something very natural.” (7)

““The mind is the cause of bondage or liberation of human beings. A person under bondage is attached to a mental or physical object, whereas the liberated one is free from all objects.” If the mind is confined to something physical or psychic it is bound to be assailed by either pleasure or pain – it is inevitable. However hard you may try you can not avoid it, because you are so inseparably bound to your objects.”

“It is also true that you will not remain associated with your object forever because the speed of movement of both cannot be equal forever. The person with whom you live with all the warmth of your life will ultimately desert you – it is a cruel game. Confronted with this grim reality one should be very cautious about selecting one’s goal. One thing is clear – the Supreme Entity alone should be accepted as one’s goal.” (8)

WITHDRAW YOUR LOVE FROM THE UNIT AND MERGE YOURSELF IN THE WHOLE

Mana eva mauśya nám kárańam bandha mokśayo

“In other words the unit attains salvation only when she/he empties her/his mind of all objects. Just as an iron sword can perform acts of cruelty or merely cut the rope tethering and animal, similarly, according to its objective tendencies, the mind can also be the cause of both bondage and liberation.”
“All unit objects are external. Love for such unit objects can never be lasting, for the mind always keeps hopping from one object to another. That is why I say, withdraw your love from the unit and merge yourself in the whole. Don’t mistake the unit for the soul or God. The attainment of one’s inner self is only possible through love for the Infinite. Dońt pretend to be inferior and as a result become lazy. Fill your heart with love of the Infinite, and your soul will be transformed into the Supreme Soul. No worldly happiness is limitless. Dedicate yourself completely to the blissful ocean of the Supreme Soul. Then alone will you realize what happiness really is. This path to attain happiness, this Sádhaná of self-surrender I call absolute devotion. Carry on performing your worldly duties with sincerity, and at the same time think about the pure self within you. Then alone will your Sádhaná be justified. The constant thought of your pure inner Self will certainly one day establish you in your original source, and this is the ultimate aim of Sádhaná.” (9)

CANNOT SIMULTANEOUSLY BE PLUNGED IN WORLDLY ACTIONS

AND MEDITATE ON BRAHMA

“Thus, the mind is behind all our activities, whether we direct it towards worldly objects or towards Brahma. No action is possible without the mind. The mind has infinite potentialities and controlling these infinite potentialities is sádhaná.”
“Though the mind is very powerful it has one serious shortcoming. It cannot think of two objects concurrently.”
“Whenever it thinks it has one single object. Nevertheless the speed of the mind’s action is baffling. While concentrating on a particular work we may also hear others about us [[talking]]. This is due to the fast acting power of the mind, which leads us to believe that the thought currents of the mind are unbroken. For example, while witnessing the pictures in cinema, we also enjoy the dialogue. The activities of the mind can be understood by diligently applying the mind and we see that the mind can do only one thing at a time. Therefore worldly acts and meditation on Brahma cannot be done simultaneously. It is impossible that on one side humans will remain bound up with passion, anger, avarice etc. and on the other, will worship Brahma. The mind must be sanctified for the worship of Brahma.” (10)

ONE GETS TOTALLY MERGED IN CONSCIOUSNESS

“It is the human mind which performs action…”
““It is the human mind which is the cause of bondage or liberation. If the mind is in bondage, the person is also in bondage. Similarly, if the mind is liberated the person is also liberated. After all, it is the human mind which engages in auspicious actions. Now, if this mind is kept engrossed in the ideation of Parama Puruśa, then it gets totally merged in Consciousness. In that case, where is the scope for virtue or vice for that person?”” (11)

MIND REQUIRES SOME PABULUM

“This human mind is a peculiar entity. It is the cause of all our sorrows and predicaments, and it is the cause of our supreme bliss. It is the cause of bondage, and it is the cause of liberation.” Now this mind, working within human framework, requires some pabulum for its maintenance. In the human mind there are fifty such pabula. And these are the human propensities, vrttis.” (12y)

HOW THE MIND FUNCTIONS

“It is said in Samskrta: Mana eva manuśyánáḿ kárańam bandha-mokśayoh.”
“Now let us analyse how the mind functions. In the physical sphere energy is essential for action. What is energy? Energy is the actional state within a material structure. This energy by itself is a blind force and for its activation intellect must exist: a driver is required to direct this blind force. The support of the intellect is a prime necessity for the operation of energy in this material world. If an useful thing is kept easily accessible to the common people in a country or society, in most cases it is misused or spoiled. Those who are considerate and have the power of judgement should be entrusted with the responsibility of controlling the physical power of common people with their intellectual power, otherwise everything will be spoiled. It is like a bullock which, without a driver, is unable to decide whether to pull its cart towards the right or the left. Only a discriminating driver can control everything efficiently.”
“As people, guided by their intellect, continue to gather practical experiences of the ups and downs of this world, they gradually start to realize that their psychic capacities are too inadequate to accomplish any great task. Then, faced with the stark realities of life, they realize that they have no alternative but to merge with the Supreme Consciousness. At that stage, whatever they do will have a cosmic support and will be genuine. That is why enlightened persons always prefer to remain unified with the Supreme Entity. This is considered the highest attainment of knowledge.” (13)

A STATE OF COSMIC BLISS FAR ABOVE THE DOMAIN OF MUNDANE PLEASURES

“It is the mind which carries the burden of pains and pleasures. In the mind is the gloomy black curtain of sorrow, and through this dark curtain pierces the silver light and golden glow of momentary happiness. As long as there are other entities outside the unit mind, there will continue to be sorrows and afflictions, desires, passions and pains. As a result of various types of physical or psychic clashes with other entities, the feelings of pain and pleasure rise and fall like bubbles in the mind. If, through sádhaná, people can merge their unit minds with the Cosmic Mind of Parama Puruśa, then the unit minds themselves become the Cosmic Mind: their individual identities are merged in that Cosmic “I”. In that condition, there remains nothing outside. Thus, there is no longer any possibility of physical or psychic clash with any external entity or object. All objects, all ideas, arise out of one’s mind. This is the state of liberation – a state of Cosmic bliss far above the domain of mundane pleasures and pains.” (14)

IF THE PABULUM IS INFINITE

THE MIND BECOMES INFINITE

“Mind alone is the cause of the bondage and liberation of human beings. Why is it the cause of bondage and liberation? It is because all the beings below human being are bereft of an independent mind. Their minds are guided by their natural instincts. But human beings have an independent mind. They can act according to their will. They can take the track either of bondage or of liberation. This is the fundamental difference between human beings and animals.”
“The mind must always have an object (viśaya). In scriptures, viśaya is known as “ábhoga.” “Ábhoga” means that object which feeds the mind – that is, mental pabulum. If this pabulum is limited, the mind also becomes limited. If the pabulum is infinite, by making an effort to obtain it, the mind becomes infinite. It depends entirely on the will of human beings which pabulum, limited or unlimited, is made their object. Whether a person becomes great or small completely depends on the person’s wish.”

Bandhastu viśayásaungii mukto nirvisáyaḿstathá.

““When the object of human beings is small and they remain fixed to it, they are in bondage. When the object of the mind is infinite, and we get merged into it, as it is not possible to hold it, we call it liberation.””

Páshabaddho bhavejjiivo páshamukto bhavet Shivah.

““The person whose object of mind is limited, is in bondage. When the object of mind is unlimited, it (the mind) cannot be kept within limitations. Then there is no bondage, but liberation.”” (15)

SUMMARY

By this entire theory & topic, we should understand that the human mind has a unique & special quality: the mind will gradually adjust with and develop an affinity for anything in which it is involved. And we should apply this in our practical lives.

As sadhakas we generally want to do sadhana and reach the Goal. Unfortunately sometimes the mind does not like to cooperate. In that case, one must try and bring the mind in a more spiritual flow by doing svadhaya, japa, kiirtan, and dhyana etc. Whether the mind likes all this or not, gradually the mind will adjust and learn to like it – thereby accelerating one’s movement on the path.

After reading this letter if you still think that liking does not change, then test it. Look back 5 or 10 years and check out what you were doing and who your friends were. Most probably you will see quite a bit of change. All should utlise this for developing more positive likings.

This following song is a song of melancholic longing. Sometimes devotees in longing want to have Parama Purus’a more close. This very P.S. song composition expresses that deep devotional longing.

“Toma’ya d’aki dine ra’te, Tumi ki pa’ona’ shun’ite…” – PS #3114

O’ my Dearmost Parama Purusa, in Your longing I am crying and calling You day and night. O’ my Lord, can’t Your hear me. I am crying for You all the time in darkness, in light, in my sleep and while awake. All the time I am crying and crying in Your longing. A very Long span of time has passed and still I am in hope that next spring I will have You in my bosom. O’ Parama Purusa Baba, please grace me by coming…